**Official** 4th Test at Melbourne, 26-30 Dec 2024

[Starfighter]

So who's Abbott on for?

 

[TheJediBrah]

So who's Abbott on for?

Usman it looks like

 

[silentstriker]

It's not just about the runs it makes. Similar to playing a reverse sweep it's about messing with a bowler's areas and strategy, manipulating the field etc. Knowing the batsman might play a shot like that changes the game for a bowling side massively. It can make a big difference.

It can. And it does. But those first three shots were also high likelihood to get him out and precipitate a collapse. You have to treat the failures and the successes the same way - I guarantee you that literally everyone would have criticized that play if he had been out on that first shot. You have to decide beforehand whether someone should play like that and then take the successes and failures as they come.

Of course when it comes off, it's sensational. But you have to look at the denominator too, not just the numerator.

 

[Starfighter]

It would help our over rate if Lyon got through them a bit faster. Hard to keep up when even your spinner is slow.

 

[silentstriker]

For example you can't really praise Konstas and criticize Pant. Pant has played those shots and they have come off before. And I'm sure Konstas, if he does it consistently, will get out to those shots when his team needs him. Some people think this is the way to go, and they may be right - I'm an old man now reminiscing about Border and Gavaskar and Dravid and Pujara. But a key player in the last two Indian series wins in Australia was Pujara. Pant was great and stole the headlines, but India needed the steel in the foundation that Pujara provided.

 

[SteveNZ]

It's not just about the runs it makes. Similar to playing a reverse sweep it's about messing with a bowler's areas and strategy, manipulating the field etc. Knowing the batsman might play a shot like that changes the game for a bowling side massively. It can make a big difference.

Only if they're as weak as India were the other day, and they can't bowl a consistent length

Every one of those Konstas scored runs off were half volleys. If Bumrah pulls that back to hit back of a length and top of off, good luck to Konstas. He might make himself look a real plonk, as Pant just did.

A major clue is in the fact Joe Root doesn't play that shot much, if ever at all when the game is still in the balance.

I bet if you talked to most of the top seamers in the world they'd say go ahead and play it, we'll back ourselves 95% of the time

 

[subshakerz]

Lyon has been quite flat this series.

 

[subshakerz]

For example you can't really praise Konstas and criticize Pant. Pant has played those shots and they have come off before. And I'm sure Konstas, if he does it consistently, will get out to those shots when his team needs him. Some people think this is the way to go, and they may be right - I'm an old man now reminiscing about Border and Gavaskar and Dravid and Pujara. But a key player in the last two Indian series wins in Australia was Pujara. Pant was great and stole the headlines, but India needed the steel in the foundation that Pujara provided.

Konstas did what was the need of the hour to the total team benefit. I am sure there is more to his game though.

 

[Spark]

That felt pretty inevitable, Jadeja just does not play Lyon well at all

 

[Starfighter]

See Jadeja? Two can play the game of getting wickets with straight breaks.

 

[morgieb]

Needed that.

 

[subshakerz]

Lyon has been quite flat this series.

Lol I totally jinxed Jadeja here haha.

 

[Starfighter]

I am sure there is more to his game though.

I certainly hope there is and that he doesn't feel the need to play like that all the time. Those domestic tons he got by playing normally, and it would be annoying if he stalled his career by trying to intent the bowler out of the ground all the time.

 

[TheJediBrah]

Only if they're as weak as India were the other day, and they can't bowl a consistent length

Every one of those Konstas scored runs off were half volleys. If Bumrah pulls that back to hit back of a length and top of off, good luck to Konstas. He might make himself look a real plonk, as Pant just did.

A major clue is in the fact Joe Root doesn't play that shot much, if ever at all when the game is still in the balance.

I bet if you talked to most of the top seamers in the world they'd say go ahead and play it, we'll back ourselves 95% of the time

There's still more to it than that. Look at the field they set for Pant. There was 2 men back for the ramp/uppercut that leaves other gaps in the field that otherwise wouldn't be there. That's a benefit of playing, or threatening to play, those shots. If Pant were smarter he would have taken better advantage of that

 

[subshakerz]

I certainly hope there is and that he doesn't feel the need to play like that all the time. Those domestic tons he got by playing normally, and it would be annoying if he stalled his career by trying to intent the bowler out of the ground all the time.

A slightly more restrained aggressive counterpart to stodgy Khwaja would be nice tho.

 

[Starfighter]

A slightly more restrained aggressive counterpart to stodgy Khwaja would be nice tho.

It's not hard to be more aggressive than Khawaja atm.

 

[Nintendo]

Reddy haters in shambles.

 

[TheJediBrah]

Assuming we have a decent lead I expect Konstas to be more aggressive in the 2nd innings anyway, but going forward I hope he doesn't feel the need to be ultra positive bordering on reckless as standard practice

 

[subshakerz]

There's still more to it than that. Look at the field they set for Pant. There was 2 men back for the ramp/uppercut that leaves other gaps in the field that otherwise wouldn't be there. That's a benefit of playing, or threatening to play, those shots. If Pant were smarter he would have taken better advantage of that

Pant like Sehwag is a total instinct intuition in the zone player in substitute of tactical game awareness like other grounded bats.

 

[subshakerz]

Assuming we have a decent lead I expect Konstas to be more aggressive in the 2nd innings anyway, but going forward I hope he doesn't feel the need to be ultra positive bordering on reckless as standard practice

Honestly doesn't need to be as gungho as the first innings, even batting at 70 to 80 SR for a small cameo should be sufficient as long as he can get past the new ball threat.